ladyjoie Member

You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren is a really great book - he has a version for women (Body By You) but I can't vouch for that as I've only tried his initial book.

Whenever you do any new exercise that you haven't done before, your muscles get sore from being worked in a different way than they're used to. It hurts, but it's not a bad pain, it's just a reaction. If you're REALLY sore, then taking a day off is the right thing to do, but otherwise try to push through it. Keep at it!

Can you do a hands and knees position? Leg raises could be good. Assuming you can bend your knee and it's weight that's the main issue, doing a bridge position might be something to look into. The only other exercise I can think of (and it's more of an abs one) is a leg and butt lift. Depending on what kind of injury it…

I'm so excited about squats tonight. I think I'm quad-dominant, so all the way up to 45kg I was struggling to engage my glutes but they suddenly needed to kick in on 47.5kg which felt GREAT.

Endurance and strength aren't directly correlated. I can squat 50kg without issue, but ask me to do 100 squats in a row and my legs will be burning at 20.

I try to get weightlifting in three times a week although it's sometimes only two, and I usually follow it up with some circuit training which acts as my cardio. I tend to do the circuit training 4-5 times a week on top of the weightlifting.

I was pretty anxious the first time I went, I nearly turned around and walked right out again but I remembered that I have just as much of a right to be in there. In five weeks I've never seen another girl in the weights area (apart from maybe to walk through it) and most of the guys are really just looking at themselves…

I'm okay about getting out of the house and down to the gym, it's just once I'm there everything feels like it's taking forever. The rest time between my squats has increased enough that it takes me about twenty minutes to get through them, my OHP feels like it takes forever too. Sadly home gym is not an option yet. I live…

Hey guys! I know I haven't been posting a lot, I haven't been keeping up with my workouts quite as much as I'd like (still doing two a week but it should be three) but I'm still reading all your stories! You're making great progress! I think maybe the reason I'm not making it is because I keep thinking "urgh, an hour and a…

Some of you ladies have seriously inspiring numbers! I did workout B today, got 5x5 on 45kg squats although I did notice a couple of times my form was slipping (leaving my hips bent too long, knee buckling) so I'm going to increase and keep an eye on it. I'd like to get to 50kg before I do a form deload. The empty bar…

I'm still overweight and I just fall on my *kitten* if I try to do them properly, so I do them on to a chair. Do your knees click with regular squats? Is it just an audible click or do you really feel it?

Smashed it in 26:21 with easier dive bombers from halfway and easier pistol squats the whole time. Woo!

I do ZWOWs, which are basically HIIT/circuit workouts. I'm only a few weeks in and I've been doing them about 4/5 times a week, but I'm willing to dial it back if my body feels too tired.

I'd say "I don't care about getting bulky, I want to do this and I want you to show me form." In my mind.

I haven't done this one for a while but last time I got it in 36 minutes. I feel so slow sometimes!

I'd say separate topics, but only created if people have actually done them. There's too many for just one topic!

If you don't want weights, get You Are Your Own Gym - it will make you stronger and help you maintain your lean body mass, which is what's going to keep your weight stable while you lose body fat.

Wasn't feeling much like working out today but I did it! Today's stats (they might look a little funny since I'm converting from kg): Squat - 5 x 88lbs OHP - 5 x 45lbs (finally!) Deadlift - 1 x 132lbs Creeping up towards my bodyweight on the deadlift! It's starting to feel heavy. I'll feel awesome when I can squat my…

It's difficult to tell just from the video but it doesn't look like you have a lot of hip drive. Another thing that's difficult to tell (since the camera is a little shaky) is if the bar is travelling in a vertical line - it doesn't quite look like it to me, it looks like it's coming forward a little over your feet. So…

Hey everyone! This is my first time here (pretty much) since I wanted to be sure I could commit to SL before I started posting (don't like to post and run). So! Here's a little background information on myself. I joined MFP about 18 months ago, dropped 20lbs doing the usual C25k and low-calorie plan but stalled when I went…

I'm in the UK too! I started with most of the weights where he suggests them, but you've got good advice from the other ladies. Get your form down and THEN worry about adding weight. It's worth mentioning that I've already done some strength training, but feel free to adapt. The barbell may be the king of the gym as far as…

I go to my uni gym, and it's only ever been guys in the free weights section with me. I was so nervous the first time I was there but if you go in with confidence, it doesn't matter. Most of the guys at my gym are looking at themselves in the mirror more than anything else.

Are you following any kind of program, or is that just one set of ten reps?

What lift do you lift 30kg in? Otherwise I can't judge. Just kidding, I won't judge anyway. Heavy is as heavy as the person can lift with good form for as many sets and reps as they want (anything from 5x5 to 3x8 usually).

I'm seriously disappointed in some of the responses in this thread. As the news anchor pointed out, does he think she doesn't *know* that she's overweight? Some of us know how easy it is to be in denial, but seriously, you don't get overweight and not know it on SOME level. He was being an *kitten*. She had a powerful…

Replying to keep track of it, I really want to get back into running and using my muscles!

I enter it as cardio - i put my own exercise in, because it's HIIT it's quite a high calorie burn. I like their workouts, but I hate that they've started using expensive equipment!

Maybe add a Tabata interval set to your workout? It's only four minutes but it gets your heartrate RIGHT up and you continue burning calories for a while after. You should be able to find some examples online. If not, then I recommend Bodyrock.tv - you can make up some of the equipment from your own home, or use this…

So I have now done both workouts this stage. I think I actually prefer workout B... I had to modify it a little (since I'm currently at home) but I feel more worked out and less dog-tired after it than I did after A! I did superset it because otherwise it would have taken FOREVER (that and my workout buddy was in a hurry…

I second the suggestion to stretch more. And don't just stretch after your runs - stretch EVERY day.